Down the Rabbit Hole
by IcecreamSyndrome
Summary: Three short stories pave the way to the tale of a girl from Unova who travels to Sinnoh, only to discover that the Pokemon world isn't as innocent as she'd thought. Sooner or later, everyone falls down the rabbit hole...
1. SS1: Shadow Puppets

Author's notes: Ok, I'm trying something different this time. Instead of a full on story or series of one shots, _Down the Rabbit Hole_ will start off with three short stories before moving on to the "real" story, which will be a multichaptered fic and will be posted at a later date.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Pokémon. If I did, Pikachu never would have forgotten Volt Tackle. Seriously, you forget Volt Tackle and keep Quick Attack? What the heck?

* * *

><p>Down the Rabbit Hole<p>

Short Story #1: Shadow Puppets

Hannah was very excited about being able to work for Mr. Backlot. She'd heard many wonderful things about him. And his mansion…

Smoothing the wrinkles out of her brand new maids outfit and making sure that her short brown hair was out of her face, Hannah headed inside the mansion to meet her new boss.

Mr. Backlot was a cheerful man who appeared to be very proud of his home, especially his garden. His instructions were simple: keep the house tidy, be courteous to guests, and never EVER go into the back rooms at the far ends of the house.

"But what's in the-"

"Nothing you need to be concerned about, my dear!" Mr. Backlot chuckled, a friendly smile on his face. "Now, go see the other maids. They'll get you started!" Hannah nodded, but something about Mr. Backlots smile seemed…off to her. Like he was purposefully hiding something. But what? Still, she had worked hard to get this job and wasn't about to get fired on her first day. She nodded and gave a respectful bow, as she had seen the other maids do, and headed out of the room. As she left, she noticed the butler eyeing her strangely, his expression grave…

"So, it's really simple," one of the more experienced maids explained to her. "The place may be big, but there's only one floor, so I'm sure you'll manage. There's just one thing…" The maid turned to Hannah, her expression deathly serious. "You don't already have a full team of Pokémon, do you?"

"No," Hannah replied, rather uncertainly. "I don't have _any_ Pokémon, actually." She began to wring her apron nervously, hoping she hadn't messed up. She hadn't remembered being a Trainer having been listed as a job requirement. "Is that bad?"

The other maid's expression instantly brightened. "No, that's wonderful!" She stepped forward and placed a single Pokeball in Hannah's hand. "That's a Clefairy. All maids here own one," she explained, as Hannah studied the red and white sphere with interest. "Just do me one favor, ok?"

"Sure," Hannah agreed, glad that things were going so well.

"Good, I knew we could count on you!" the maid beamed, regarding Hannah with a friendly smile. Then her smile faded, her expression turning deathly serious once more. She walked towards Hannah, causing the girl to take a step backwards as her personal space was invaded. She looked Hannah strait in the eye, her gaze hard, cold, and full of…fear? "Promise me that you'll love that Clefairy," she finally whispered, voice barely audible. "Promise me that you'll love that Clefairy…_forever_."

Hannah shakily nodded, not sure what to make of this. There was something about that woman's statement. Was it a warning? A threat? Or was it something worse…

* * *

><p>Hannah enjoyed working for Mr. Backlot over the next couple months, and during that time, she and her Clefairy became fast friends. She took the little Pokémon everywhere with her, and even got to battle visitors to the mansion on occasion. The other maid's strange behavior the day she received Clefairy completely forgotten, Hannah found herself wondering once again what was behind those closed doors. What's more, the doors were always guarded by one of the maids, and whenever she asked what was behind them, they'd just shake their heads…and <em>shudder<em>.

_Something is behind those doors, _Hannah realized. _Something is behind those doors and the other maids know what it is! Why won't they tell me? I work here too, you know! _

As the months passed, Hannah found her attention drawn to what lay beyond those doors. There was a secret hidden in Mr. Backlot's Mansion, and she was determined to find out what it was. She began neglecting her work, spending more and more time trying to figure it out. Eventually, she began spending less and less time with her Clefairy.

The Clefairy, well fed but lonely, took to amusing itself by making shadow puppets on the wall…

* * *

><p>One day, Hannah released her Clefairy from its Pokeball to feed it, but the little Pokémon wouldn't eat. Concerned, she picked up the Clefairy and held it in her arms, but the Pokémon was non responsive. She turned to head to Mr. Backlott and ask him if he would excuse her so she could go to the Pokémon Center, when the lights began to flicker, casting dim shadows on the walls. The Clefairy began mumbling something in its own language, which Hannah was unable to understand.<p>

"What is it Clefairy? What's wrong?"

The little Pokémon lifted up its arm and pointed one finger towards the wall.

Hannah gasped at what she saw. There was her shadow but, where was Clefairys? To make sure, she held up the little Pokémon, but its form cast no shadow. Hannah turned towards the creature in her arms and choked back a sob as she felt its body go limp, its eyes closing. Hannah held it close as its lifeless body seemed to grow lighter in her arms…and then she heard it. Clefairy was _still breathing_.

Turning to the form in her arms, she saw the Clefairy's eyes open, now glowing a strange red, its mouth pulling back into an evil grin, revealing rows and rows of vicious fangs. The Clefairy floated up out of Hannah's arms, until it hovered above her, grinning a Cheshire cat grin. Its fur turned purple as the Pokémon changed shape, taking on a new, more freighting image.

"Geeengaaaar…" the Pokémon whispered, the air around it growing strangely cold.

Hannah turned to run, but was stopped by one of the maids, the one who had given her Clefairy.

"Do you wish to know what is beyond those doors?" she asked, taking Hannah firmly by the wrist. Screaming in protest, Hannah was forcibly dragged through the dark halls, the Gengar following close behind, laughing mercilessly. Opening the door, the woman tossed Hannah inside, her expression completely blank. "I tried to warn you," she whispered as the air around them turned cold. "We all did." The Gengar's laughter encircled the pair, seeming to cut off all available oxygen. "I told you to love it _forever_ Hannah," the woman whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "_Why_ couldn't you have listened?"

"I-I did!" she tried to protest, but the woman ignored her.

"You ignored it," she whispered, voice barely audible. "You ignored it, and now you'll pay the price. Look."

Hannah turned to where the maid was pointing, then wished she hadn't.

The room was full of Gengar, all eyeing her wickedly, as if she was something to eat. Was this what happened to all the Clefairy who were ignored by their Trainers?

Hannah screamed as the shadowy Pokémon converged on her, their eyes glowing with mischief and the pain of years' worth of neglect. She screamed as one Gengar tugged at her hair, trying to shoe it away, only to have her hand pass right through. The Pokémon clawed at her, grinning all the while and laughing at her fear. With one final scream, she and the Pokémon vanished, becoming shadows on the wall…

"And that is why we don't allow anyone back here," the maid stated calmly, as the lights turned back on to their normal brightness. She turned to Mr. Backlott, a look of sorrow on her face. "I'm sorry sir. I tried."

"There, there, it's alright," Mr. Backlott assured her, wrapping his loyal employee in an understanding hug. "It couldn't be helped you know. Sooner or later, everyone falls down the rabbit hole."


	2. SS2: Beneath the Earth

Short Story #2: Beneath the Earth

Josh had always wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer, but Vermillion City was quite a ways from Pallet Town where Professor Oak resided.

"Why can't I just cut through Diglets Cave?" he'd asked on numerous occasions, but his parents would always shake their heads, a look of fear in their eyes.

"Because, a Diglet might attack you!" his mother told him one day, after much coaxing. She wouldn't explain any further than that, only repeated the warning he had heard so many adults tell him: Whatever you do, don't ever get scratched by a Diglet!

Josh scoffed at the claim, he'd always found it ridiculous. After all, a Diglet was only _eight inches tall_, it couldn't possibly harm a human. Granted, no one had ever seen anything besides its head, but whatever was below ground couldn't possibly be dangerous…

* * *

><p>One day, fed up with it all, Josh made his way to Diglets Cave, careful not to draw any attention. He was going to be a Pokémon Trainer. No matter what the cost…<p>

The trip was going smoothly, with only the occasional Diglet popping their heads above ground to regard him curiously. As he headed deeper and deeper into the tunnel, however, Josh began to notice that the Diglet where beginning to look at him…strangely. Was it sadness? Regret? Longing? He wasn't sure. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the mound of earth moving steadily towards him, the telltale sign that a Diglet was approaching.

"Let's see…the exit should be right over-ah!" he cried out in pain as something raked its sharp claws across his ankle, ripping his pant leg. Turning in the direction of the attack, Josh spotted a lone Diglet, its eyes wet, as if it had been crying.

"Diglet," it whispered, before retracting its head below ground once more.

Josh turned to inspect the wound, grimacing as the stinging set in. Three claw marks outlined in blood stood out against his pale skin. They weren't anything serious, but Josh couldn't help noticing that they were quite _large_ to be caused by something that was only supposed to be eight inches tall.

"Man, Diglet sure must have big claws!" he laughed, shrugging it off.

He continued through the cave as before, not noticing that the Diglet were now watching him…

* * *

><p>He made it to Viridian City with little difficulty, taking a room at the Pokémon Center. He didn't tell Nurse Joy about the scratch, covering his story by saying that he'd gotten snagged in the dense foliage of Viridian Forrest. He also didn't tell her that he didn't have any Pokémon; she'd be suspicious if he did that, and he'd have to pay for his room.<p>

Treating the scratches with some triple antibiotic from the medicine cabinet in his room, Josh drifted off into a deep sleep…

His dreams were strange and freighting that night, full of horribly grotesque Pokémon, deformed beyond recognition. The Pokémon were all wailing, their screams echoing eerily throughout the darkness. The only Pokémon who appeared normal were the Diglet, their eyes solemn, accepting, as the other Pokémon cried out in apparent agony. Slowly, the hideous Pokémon began to change shape, taking on different, more frightening images, until, at last, they began to resemble…_humans_. The warning echoed through the darkness as the Diglet began to approach: _Whatever you do, don't ever get scratched by a Diglet!_

Josh awoke with a start, his short black hair matted against his forehead in a cold sweat. The warning, still fresh in his mind, made him shudder like it never had before. Glancing around the room, Josh spotted something that made his heart run cold: there, next to the door, poking out from beneath the floorboards, was the head of a _Diglet. _The sound of floorboards splintering was heard as the creature began to inch towards him, deliberately, determinedly. Not bothering to question how a Diglet had gotten there in the first place, Josh picked up the nearest object, a lamp, and hurled it at the creature.

"DIGLET!" it cried out in surprise, pulling its head down seconds before the lamp hit, the bulb shattering upon impact, sending off shards of broken glass.

Panting heavily, Josh hurried to get dressed, skipping breakfast entirely. All he wanted was to get to Professor Oaks lab, get his first Pokémon, then _stay as far away as humanly possible from Diglet for the rest of his life._

* * *

><p>His heart raced with excitement when he reached Pallet Town, his dream so close he could touch it. With a smile on his face, he hurried off towards Professor Oaks Lab, swinging open the doors, his smile faltering as the sight of an empty lab greeted him.<p>

"Where's Professor Oak?" he asked one of the lab assistants impatiently. "I'm here to get my Pokémon!"

The aid turned to Josh, shook his head, and sighed. "Sorry kid. The Professors away on important business. Go play Pokémon somewhere else."

"I'M NOT PLAYING!" Josh cried out angrily, unable to believe that he might be denied the one thing he'd wanted for so long. "Look, can't _you _just give me a Pokémon? I don't even care which one it is, any will be fine!"

"Look, if you're that big a fan of Diglet, go to Diglet's Cave, there are plenty. We only give out Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and, on occasion, Pikachu and Eevee. No Diglet."

"What are you _talking about_?" Josh growled, impatience welling up inside of him. "Diglet is the _last_ Pokémon I want! I just-"

"Diglet Dig! Diglet Dig!"

Josh froze as the voices of several Diglet could be heard, although their exact location was undeterminable. In fact, they seemed to be coming from every direction at once. And the scariest part was that he _understood them._

_"Join us! Join us!" _the mole like Pokémon cried, their claws scrapping the floor of the lab, trying to dig through.

_"Go away!" _Josh cried out, clapping a hand over his mouth as he heard what came out. "Diglet?" Josh stared at his hands as long, pointed claws began to sprout, wickedly curved and perfect for digging. He let out a moan as his head began to shrink, getting smaller and smaller until it was only about eight inches in diameter. There was a ripping sound as he shoes were torn to ribbons, his feet having sprouted their own wicked claws; a short, pink, mole-like tail poked its way out of the seat of his pants. Finally, his head began to reshape, his nose turned a bright red, and brown fur quickly coated his face.

The aid let out a yelp of surprise. What now stood before him was a twelve-year-old boy with claws on his hands and feet, a short pink tail like a mole, and…the head of a Diglet.

"Diglet!" the boy chirped, beginning to dig rapidly at the floorboards with his claws.

Seconds later, the lab began to shake as several Diglet burst their way through the floor. The aid shuddered; each one had a human body, each one had claws, a short tail, and a tiny head several sizes too small for them. Each one had an oddly familiar set of claw marks somewhere on their bodies… Was this truly what Diglet looked like underground? Was this why a Diglet never showed anything below its head?

Josh turned to the group of Diglet before him, fear welling up inside of him. _"Help me! Please, help me!"_

A young Diglet female came forward and took his hand in hers. _"Don't be afraid Josh. All is well. Come home."_

In that instant, Josh the human was no more and Josh the Diglet was born.

Professor Oak returned to his lab just in time to see Josh and the other Diglet burrow their way beneath the floorboards, headed off towards Diglets Cave, a place that all Diglet call home.

"Professor!" the aid cried out, practically hysterical. "This kid! H-he turned into a Diglet, and then he-"

"Calm down, calm down!" Professor Oak sighed, attempting to calm his assistant. "This kind of thing happens from time to time. Besides, there was nothing you could have done for him. Sooner or later, everyone falls down the rabbit hole."


	3. SS3: Radio Waves

Short Story #3: Radio Waves

He'd heard rumors about it. How if you turned your radio to a certain station while inside the Ruins of Alph it would pick up some strange signal. Curious, he'd decided to head to the Ruins of Alph and see if it was true. Even now he remembered it like it was yesterday: the event that would change his life forever.

He'd turned on the radio function of his Pokégear, turning the dial until he'd found it-a strange, almost haunting tone that sounded like nothing he'd ever heard. He'd checked the station description on his Pokégear, only to find that it consisted of three question marks. His Pokémon had let out a whine, a pleading look in its eyes, and too excited to pay attention, he'd returned it to its Pokeball and set off to test if the second part of the rumor was true. Sure enough, upon leaving the Ruins of Alph, the sound vanished.

This was somehow connected to the secrets of the Ruins of Alph, he'd decided, heading back inside the gate. If anyone was going to uncover its secrets, it would be him! He shuddered at the memory. If he'd known then what he knew now, he would never have gone into the Ruins of Alph again.

As the days passed, he spent countless hours exploring the Ruins of Alph-asking questions, talking to the scientists stationed there, examining the ruins' many strange chambers-all the while, keeping his Pokégear tuned to the strange station. His Pokémon didn't like the tone at all, and would make a huge fuss whenever it heard it, so he found himself keeping it inside of its Pokeball most of the time. Only now did he understand that it had been trying to warn him…

One day the scientists researching the ruins had come to him with an important announcement: it seemed as though strange markings had appeared on the walls of one of the chambers. Excited that he might finally have found something, he'd followed the man to the wall in question. Sure enough, there were strange markings on the wall, almost like hieroglyphics. He'd stared long and hard at these strange shapes, wondering what in the world they could be. They looked almost like…Pokémon…

Squinting hard at them, he'd realized that they greatly resembled the letters of the alphabet, and seemed to be spelling out some kind of message.

ESCAPE

_Escape?_ He'd wondered, running his hand across the cool surface of the wall. _What in the world could that mean?_

On a hunch, he'd pulled out the Escape Rope he'd been carrying with him in his bag, as one never knew when they might get hopelessly lost up in the mountains. One could simply tie one end to a rock outside the entrance, and follow it back up again. A lot of good it would do him in this situation, but it was the only thing he could think of that the message could mean.

As he'd pulled out the rope, he nearly dropped it in shock at what he saw. The strange letters on the wall began to glow with an eerie light, the rope enveloped in a similar glow. The light grew so bright that he'd had to shield his eyes. There was a low rumble and the ground began to shake. Panic griped him as the possibility that the chamber was about to collapse entered his mind. Then, suddenly, just as quickly as it had started, it was gone.

He'd cautiously opened one eye, then both eyes shot open in awe and excitement. Where the message had been, there was now a large opening. How he wished now that he could have just left well enough alone, but at the time, he was only a twelve-year-old boy, unaware of the potential danger that lay waiting. Being young and foolish, he'd stepped through that opening without the slightest hesitation. As he walked through his radio, which had been playing softly this whole time, suddenly rose to an ear splitting volume. He remembered covering his ears in pain, the ground falling away beneath him, and then…darkness.

* * *

><p>He awoke some time later, the sound of his radio still playing softly in the background. Glancing around him, he'd found that he was now in some sort of underground chamber. Pulling himself to his feet, he'd decided to have a look around. At first, he'd found nothing, but a chance glance at the floor revealed more than he'd expected. Spelled out in the same strange letters were messages. Oddly, he'd found it ridiculously easy to read.<p>

_Our words shall remain here for the ages. _

Intrigued, he'd kept reading, unaware that the sound of his radio was slowly growing louder…

_Thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outside. _

Here, the sound of his Pokégear had finally reached his ears, and he'd winced as a headache began to come on. Only now did he realize that he should have paid more attention to it, and to the dark shapes that flickered in and out of his line of sight.

_They possess great insight and refuse the outside world._

By now, his head was pounding, but still, he'd refused to stop. He had to know. In the background he could make out the sound of his Pokégear, the sound growing louder still, and sounding almost…angry?

_We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them. We depart for their sakes. _

As he finished reading, several Pokémon floated in front of him, looking very angry. They resembled letters, and began to arrange themselves to spell out words at a furious pace.

_This is a special place. _

_We tried to warn you. _

_You didn't listen. _

_Those before you have intruded here. _

_They respected our wishes. _

_They listened. _

_You did not. _

_You will be made to listen. _

Here, he'd felt a terrible pain in his head as the Pokémon converged on him, their eyes glowing an angry red. He'd never felt pain like that before, and soon welcomed the darkness the descended upon him.

He'd awakened some time later, though how long, he wasn't sure even now. The first thing he became aware of was the sound of his Pokégear, as he'd never turned the radio off. He picked up his Pokégear, then frowned, and turned up the volume.

_"So, do you think the boy has learned his lesson?"_

_"Perhaps not yet, but he will." _

_"Was it really necessary to punish him like that? After all, he __**is**__ only a child."_

_"It only need be a punishment if that is what he chooses. If he learns from his mistakes, it can be a great gift." _

He recalled dropping the Pokégear in shock then. Those voices…those were _Pokémon_ talking! No…not quite. Listening to it more carefully, he could tell that it was some kind of radio signal He'd heard that the Unown-the Pokémon rumored to inhabit the Ruins of Alph-communicated amongst themselves via radio waves. But then, how was he able to understand it?

Wanting to hear anything but those strange voices, he'd turned his radio to the next station over, only to be greeted with nothing.

"What the heck? It isn't broken, is it?" he'd asked, then his eyes widened in horror. He hadn't heard a word he'd just spoken. "Helloooo!" he'd screamed at the top of his lungs, once again hearing nothing. Beginning to panic, he'd turned his Pokégear to the next station, turning the volume up as high as it would go. Silence.

Confused and terrified, he'd sat there crying in the darkness, waiting for someone to come and rescue him.

He'd never been more relieved in his life when the scientists had managed to locate him, although he couldn't hear a word they were saying. His grandfather and cousin had been both confused and concerned with his newfound deafness, the former sending the young boy to every doctor and specialist he could find. As he quickly discovered, he wasn't _really _deaf, just unable to hear most things. He could hear certain kinds of radio waves, something that confused the doctors to no end.

He'd finally understood what had happened that fateful day at the Ruins of Alph. The Unown didn't like the outside world and wished to be left alone in order to live in peace. This is why the ancient people had left the Ruins of Alph alone all those years ago. The message, ESCAPE hadn't been a puzzle. It had been a warning: Escape while you can and leave us be. A warning and a trap. Those who didn't listen were punished and _made_ to listen, even if it meant not being able to listen to anything else ever again…

* * *

><p>When it became clear to him that there was no way the doctors would be able to help him he began to pick up the pieces of his now shattered life. He'd learn to read lips so well that no one would ever guess that he couldn't hear. He'd traveled to many places, meeting many people, happy that he hadn't had to quit being a Trainer. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his "gift" might one day prove useful.<p>

Upon arriving in Mahogany Town, he'd heard some kind of radio signal, though he couldn't tell where it was coming from exactly. It was a rather strange tone that hurt his ears, and it was all he could do to stand being in the town for very long. What was worse, the Pokégear and radios appeared to be picking it up as well. Whatever it was, it seemed to be having adverse effects on the Pokémon and thus, had to be stopped. After investigating at the Lake of Rage, he'd found himself teamed up with another trainer, and, together, they'd managed to stop what turned out to be a Team Rocket scheme. Still, the experience of meeting the Trainer had made him happy, and he looked forward to meeting them again.

When he met them again at the Pokémon League, he'd enjoyed every minute of their fast passed battle-never did he recall having encountered such a strong opponent. Though he did end up losing, he vowed to get stronger.

Yes, though that day changed his life, it was what had also allowed him to meet such a talented individual.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, he felt a tug on his cape and he looked down to see Lyra staring at him, her brown eyes full of concern and a hint of confusion.<p>

"Lance? Are you ok? I've been calling your name for the past five minutes!"

He blushed slightly, knowing he couldn't simply tell her that he hadn't heard her. _Couldn't _hear her. "Sorry Lyra. Just reminiscing about old times!" he laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Like all the times I beat you?" she taunted, pulling out a Pokeball.

"Well, we'll just see how you do this time," he laughed, sending out his Dragonite, who regarded him with a warm smile, eager to challenge the opponent he could never seem to beat.

As Lyra sent out her trusted Lapras, Lance decided not to let the past bother him. After all, sooner or later, everyone falls down the rabbit hole.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: In case anyone was wondering, the writing on the floor is actual text from <em>Pokémon Crystal <em>and is spread out throughout the secret chambers of the Ruins of Alph.

Well, I hope everybody enjoyed this, feel free to review and let me know what you think! ^_^

Happy Halloween everybody! :)


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